Ways to develop your STEM skills

Want to improve your STEM skills? There are opportunities all around you, both as part of a collaborative group or as an individual.

Here are some ideas for ways to build your STEM skills through working with others:

Join a STEM-focused club or program in your school or community.
Organizations like FIRST, Project Lead the Way, and SkillsUSA offer opportunities for you to build STEM skills through practical problem-solving experiences while also giving you a chance to connect and learn with other students who share your interests.

Find a local organization or committee focused on solving a problem in your area, and ask to be a member.
Your school district, your city or town, or even local youth organizations always have problems they are working to solve, one step at a time. Join a team that is solving a STEM-based issue—like protecting a habitat or improving recycling rates—to put your STEM skills to use. You can learn from experts or other community members and develop an understanding of the applications of STEM all around you.

If you are looking for ways you can build STEM skills on your own, here are some ideas on how to take advantage of the STEM that’s all around you in everyday life:

Ask questions!
If you wonder about how or why something works, generate a question that you’d like to answer. Then use your research skills to figure out what’s happening and why, or design an experiment to test ways to answer your question.

Focus on the impacts of each area of STEM in your day-to-day life.
Write down all the math or science you use in one day. (It’s more than you might think!) Consider how you use technology, or how the objects and structures around you have actually been engineered for efficiency and safety. Noticing the STEM all around you will help you identify how we use STEM and why it’s so important.

Use what you know about STEM to try to be more efficient in your day-to-day tasks.
Think about tasks you or your family do every day. Now think about how you might use STEM to make those tasks easier, faster, safer, or more effective. Trying to find new ways to be more efficient, no matter what the task may be, is an important part of STEM thinking.

Utilize the GIE Test Prep Workshop Independent Study Program.
Pre-employment testing is a common requirement for many energy companies. GIE Test Prep prepares you for the different topics often covered on those tests.

ABOUT US

Get Into Energy / Get Into STEM is a ground-breaking program designed to build awareness among students, parents, teachers, guidance counselors, and others about the value of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education and the excellent career opportunities available in the energy industry.

Get Into Energy / Get Into STEM is managed by the Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD), a non-profit consortium of electric, natural gas, and nuclear utilities and their associations.